4 Reasons why You Should Be the First to Dance.

A few months ago, I watched a woman in pink flowing garments dance her ass off in front of a concert crowd.

She was grooving with the music and shaking her booty, smiling and swaying, and while not entirely surprising, it was unexpected because of one minor detail: Nobody else was dancing. Most people weren’t even standing.

Some folks, watched, giggled, and grinned, while a few others pointed and laughed. That made me sad, and got me thinking, “Why do we need permission or acceptance to enjoy live music? Why can’t we move our bodies however we wish and not care what the stares of others suggest? Above all, why shouldn’t we be the first to dance?”

The more I sat and thought about it, the more I realized the shimmying lady in pink was an inspiration, a gyrating lesson dressed in peach-colored encouragement.

Here are four reasons I think you should be the first to dance:

1. The dark thoughts and past pains that prevent us from enjoying ourselves are banished when we boogie. When we get down, we perk up. Dancing is fun and carefree, and in a world filled with violence, war, and unease, we need more things like that. This just makes sense to me.

2. Too often, we overthink. We relive shameful memories, imagine future horrors, and stop ourselves from living the lives we wish. When we think about being embarrassed or scared, ostracized and criticized, our thinking halts our living. However, dancing is different. Dancing is not about thinking, it’s about feeling, and when you stop thinking, you start doing. When you start doing, you start living, and one thing this world desperately needs more of is people coming to life by feeling alive.

3. Getting our groove on gives others permission to do the same. It sets the tone, sheds the shame, and provides approval and acceptance that screams “YES!” to anyone listening for a reason to sway, to move, or to sing. And when others feel “YES!” in their bones, they know it’s okay to just be, and that, my friend, is a beautiful thing.

4. Our universe is a mysterious spinning adventure through immeasurable time and space, and our bodies pump blood with a rhythm and pace that forces life through our veins each day. Movement is in us, and action surrounds us. We walk with rhythm. Our hearts have a beat. When we dance, we share a synchronous second with something infinitely bigger and more beautiful than a simple melody, chord, or chorus. We sway with existence and partner up with potential. When we dance, we are no longer lost. We are a small provider of sunshine, a joyful and wonderful being-turned-beacon-of-light, and you never know how many lost sailors sit in a crowded concert hall, patiently waiting for a sign to guide them through the night. Being the first to dance helps light the way for others to find the right route home to themselves.

The next time you feel the music and your hips start to shake, the next time you hear some tunes that make your insides quake, go ahead and dance.

And fuck what others think.

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Jeremy Goldberg (Long Distance Love Bombs) is trying to make kindness cool and the world better than it was yesterday. He's also a kindhearted marine biologist with a punk rock spirit and an urge to live the shit out of his life. You could join him on Facebook, Instagram, and Etsy. You can also send him some love via email or sign up for his newsletter.